Trying to grow your social media presence with the goal of increasing sales can seem intimidating without a large ad budget. There's a good chance that you're reading this blog post because you are a small company trying to compete against the big dogs in your industry who more resources to play with. The good news is you can be resourceful and scrappy in order build your brand and experience revenue growth. Here are five ways you can grow your social media presence without a large ad budget.

Content marketing: SEO is not dead. You can still play the game to your benefit. One way to build your social media presence is by creating original content that brings value to both your current customers and potential customers. Quality, original content that's shareable will help you increase your social media presence and overall sales. Be patient since it can take some time to see the results you want and need. If you don't know how to get the ball rolling, this blog post will help you know how to get started.

Social media marketing: Are you on Facebook or Instagram? If not, it's time to get started. Create social media accounts for your business and be active and present. Regularly posting and engaging with people on social media is a great way to earn credibility online. Are you wondering what you should share on your social media accounts? The answer is simple. Content that you've created that helps your customers accomplish their goals. This includes infographics, blog posts, and tutorial videos.

Brand collaboration: Never shy away from opportunities to collaborate with brands that complement yours. Seek out companies that don't compete with you but go hand-in-hand with your product/services. Here are a few businesses that can pair with each other: nutritional supplements and workout clothes, toilet plungers and plumbing services, fishing poles and outdoor magazines. Collaborations will help you produce win-win relationships which are the best types of relationships you can generate. These partnerships will help you access new groups of customers you wouldn't have had access to before. Be willing to work with different brands whether they have 5,000 followers on Instagram or 50,000 followers on Instagram. Follower engagement and brand loyalty matters more than total follower count.

Influencer marketing: Partner with social media celebrities to gain more exposure. You can reach out to influencers who focus on your industry. Are you a video game company that specializes in first-person shooters? Send out copies of your latest game to YouTubers who love your type of games. Are you a boutique clothing shopping? Send cute outfits to fashion bloggers. Effective collaboration leads to exposure. When you work with an influencer who has 5,000 followers, you gain access to roughly 5,000 more people who could turn into potential customers.

Consistency: You can't expect to write one blog post or partner with influencers twice a year thinking that you'll increase your Instagram following from 500 to 10,000. Regular, quality content takes time and effort but it's a worthwhile investment. It's easier to stay on top of your content needs when you plan a detailed calendar of topics and dates each item will be published. Be consistent and start creating content now.

How will you start growing your social media presence without a large ad budget? Let us know in the comments below!